Piers Alexander Hamilton Edgcumbe, 5th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe DL (1865–1944), was a

soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...

who served in the

South African War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

with distinction. He was the son of William Henry Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe by his first wife, Lady Katherine Hamilton, fourth daughter of

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn (21 January 1811 – 31 October 1885), styled Viscount Hamilton from 1814 to 1818 and The Marquess of Abercorn from 1818 to 1868, was a Conservative statesman who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. ...

and his wife, Lady Louisa Russell. Educated at Oxford University and a keen horseman, he was part of the varsity polo team playing against Cambridge in 1885–1887. He was appointed a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the 3rd (

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

) Battalion of

The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1959. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, by the merger of the 32nd (Cornwall Light I ...

on 23 March 1891. After the outbreak of the

Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

in 1899, he went to serve in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. He left

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

for the United Kingdom in early May 1902, shortly before the end of the war. The

Mount Edgecombe Mount Edgecombe or Mt Edgecombe is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, situated just north of Durban, which forms part of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, eThekwini, the Greater Durban Metropolitan area. Much of the suburb is cordoned off a ...

suburb of the city of

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

is named after him. He succeeded his father to the earldom and

Mount Edgcumbe House Mount Edgcumbe House is a stately home in south-east Cornwall and is a Grade II listed building, whilst its gardens and parkland are listed as Grade I in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Mount Edgcumb ...

in 1917. He had married in 1911 Lady Edith Villiers, the only daughter of Edward Hyde Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon. They had no children. In January 1921, they were in Gibraltar with

Lord Birkenhead Earl of Birkenhead was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1922 for the noted lawyer and Conservative politician F. E. Smith, 1st Viscount Birkenhead. He was Solicitor-General in 1915, Attorney-General from 1915 to 1 ...

(Lord Chancellor) and Smith Dorrien.The diary of Olave Baden-Powell He was succeeded by his cousin, Kenelm William Edward Edgcumbe, 6th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.

References

External links

www.burkespeerage.comCracroft's Peerage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mount Edgcumbe, Piers Edgcumbe, 5th Earl of 5 1865 births 1944 deaths Military personnel from Cornwall Deputy lieutenants of Cornwall Deputy lieutenants of Devon Knights of Justice of the Order of St John British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry officers